There are many devices in the prior art which automatically, or semi-automatically, lower a toilet seat, a toilet lid, and/or a toilet seat and lid assembly. As users often neglect to fully close a toilet lid after use, a device for automatically closing a lid upon conventional flushing of the toilet offers a numbers of advantages. For example, when not in use, a fully closed toilet is safer in that it prevents children and pets from falling into the toilet bowl. In addition, a closed toilet is more sanitary in that it prevents pets from drinking from the bowl and averts cases of toilet users leaving the seat and lid assembly in an open position, thereby causing an inattentive subsequent user to sit on the actual toilet bowl instead of the toilet seat. In addition, it also helps to eliminate the situation where a male user utilizes the facility without raising the seat prior to urinating, by requiring that the male bend over and raise at least the lid, and preferably both the lid and seat, prior to urinating. Moreover, a fully closed toilet is overall more aesthetically pleasing.
However, all such known devices are believed to be relatively more obtrusive than the present invention in that they substantially detract from the usually smooth, simple appearance of the toilet or surrounding area, they make toilet cleaning more difficult, or they interfere with a conventional toilet's function, such as use of the flush handle. Most of the devices are also relatively complex and sometimes difficult to install, therefore often resulting in a rather costly device.
The devices of the prior art may be classified into several categories according to the actuation means each uses to initiate the closing of a lid and/or seat. More specifically, the actuation means used include: 1) foot pedals; 2) simple release of a user's hand, for those requiring the lid and/or seat to be held open while using the toilet; 3) sensors of various types; 4) timers of various types; 5) the toilet's existing flush handle; 6) water from either the supply line or the toilet's existing tank; 7) electric switches, which may primarily initiate flushing but also result in lid and/or seat closing; 8) the toilet's existing float or a special additional float or float/weight or float sensor; and, 9) the toilet's existing flush arm.
Unfortunately, all of these actuation means have disadvantages, for example, with respect to how they communicate with the lid and seat of the toilet. More specifically, several devices, such as those employing foot pedals, require the use of levers and/or rods and/or cylinders and/or air tubes positioned along the side(s) of the toilet bowl and all are believed to be highly obtrusive. For example, the devices set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,112,336, 5,289,593 and 5,267,356 disclose use of a visible sheathed cable end attached to an obtrusive mechanism mounted either atop the toilet's bowl ledge or to the side of said ledge. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,938 discloses a float-actuated line which moves an obtrusive seat counter-balancing arm which is visible over the side of said ledge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,524 discloses an electric line over the side of the ledge to an obtrusive, expensive mechanism requiring a microprocessor atop the toilet's bowl ledge. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,754,985 and 5,222,260 disclose obtrusive apparatus mounted atop the front of the toilet's tank.
Similarly, those employing the hand-release approach are also obtrusive in that they require the user to hold the lid and/or seat open while using the toilet. In addition, those employing timers are frequently visually obtrusive because the timers are generally incorporated into sizable devices mounted atop the toilet bowl ledge. Also, the timers may initiate closing action at a time inconvenient to a particular user.
Devices that use portions of a toilet's tank to assist with automatically closing a seat and lid assembly also have some disadvantages. For example, devices employing the toilet's existing flush handle are often visually obtrusive because the chains, cables, rods or levers are attached to or interact with the flush handle and their attachment to the flush handle interferes with use of the handle to flush the toilet. In addition, devices using the toilet's existing or added float(s), floating weights or a float switch are believed to be more visually obtrusive than the present invention in that they all employ a communication means with the seat or lid which may extend over the side of the toilet bowl's ledge or be mounted to the front of the toilet's tank. Those employing special added floats also reduce the effective water capacity of the tank which is especially disadvantageous when used with smaller, lower flush volume toilets.
Although sometimes not as visually obtrusive, several other devices are difficult to install, complex in design and therefore often expensive. For example, devices employing sensors of various types and electric switches to close the lid and/or seat are believes to be considerably complex and costly. In addition, devices employing either water from the toilet's supply line or tank require additional plumbing work and therefore are relatively difficult to install. Also, these devices increase risk of water leakage.
Of all disclosed devices referred to above, only U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,336 disclosed use of a direct mechanical connection to the toilet's flush arm as the actuating means. However, this direct mechanical connection is relied upon only to, via a line or cord, activate an electrical switch in an obtrusive electro-mechanical device atop the toilet bowl's ledge that appears to be complex and costly. The reason only this one of the many prior art devices uses such a connection to the flush arm as the actuation means is believed to be that most flush arms are designed with little more strength than that required to raise the flush valve and they will not tolerate a significant additional load without breaking.
Of all the known devices to open and close a toilet seat or lid, only the following utilize the standard lid/seat assembly mounting openings provided on toilet bowl ledges as a less obtrusive method of communicating between the automatic closing actuation means and the lid and seat: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,230,336 and 6,185,754 disclose use of the mounting opening as a water conduit to an obtrusive mechanism mounted atop the toilet bowl's ledge; U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,843 discloses use of the mounting opening for an air tube to an obtrusive mechanism mounted atop the toilet bowl's ledge; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,410,766 and 4,951,323 disclose use of the mounting opening as a pathway for a flexible cable to raise, rather than automatically lower, a seat or lid; while U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,988 discloses use of the mounting opening as a pathway for a flexible cable connected to a foot pedal to lower as well as raise the seat. None of the prior art uses the mounting opening or bowl ledge in the manner provided by the present invention.